1. Field
The present application relates generally to energy harvesting devices, and more particularly, to energy-harvesting from input impulse with motion doubling mechanism for generating power from mortar tube firing impulses and the like.
2. Prior Art
Providing a safe, lightweight, and reliable source of electrical power for ancillary electronic systems for infantry weapon platforms is an ongoing supply chain problem, especially when operating in remote areas. Given recent advances in low-power electronics for components such as fire control systems, energy harvesting technology is seeing renewed attention as a replacement or supplement for power sources such as batteries in many systems.
Harvesting energy from the environment to power various devices is not new. The earliest such devices can probably be said to be windmills. The first windmills were developed to mechanize the tasks of grain-grinding and water-pumping. The earliest-known design is the vertical axis system developed in Persia circa 500-900 CE. The first documented design is also of Persian origin, this one with vertical sails made of bundles of reeds or wood which were attached to the central vertical shaft by horizontal struts.
In recent years, particularly following the development of low-power electronics, sensors and wireless communications devices, electrical energy generators that harvest energy from the environment have seen renewed attention. In this area, piezoelectric materials have been widely used to generate electrical energy from ambient vibration. Such electrical energy generators and methods of collecting, regulating and storing the generated electrical energy have been the subject of numerous studies.
Harvesting energy from transient high-shock events such as gun-firing and converting it to usable electrical energy is also not new. The developed piezoelectric power generators are generally suitable for applications with low to medium power requirements. To date, several such piezoelectric-based power generators have been developed and tested for fuzing applications, which are designed to produce up to 2 Joules of energy from firing accelerations of 20,000 G's-40,000 G's.